AIIMS student dies of dengue in Delhi

Kamal Raj Kiran, a fourth-year student, died in the day due to the deadly disease which has spread its tentacles across the AIIMS campus.

NEW DELHI: On Saturday in the capital the saviours became the victims, as a medical student at AIIMS died of dengue. With the death of Kamal Raj Kiran, a seventh semester student at AIIMS, the toll has gone up to eleven.

Kamal was on a ventilator and doctors say that he was brain dead a day before. “It’s a rare case. He was on a life support system till Friday evening,” said AIIMS medical superintendent DK Sharma. At least 17 people including 12 medicos and five employees of the AIIMS have tested positive for dengue so far, and one of them is extremely critical.

However, senior doctors at the institute say that they are not worried. “Dengue is caused by the bite of Aedes mosquito which does not differentiate between a doctor and a patient. It is unfortunate that so many people from the institute are getting affected,” said Dr AB Dey.

A fresh directive has been issued to all support staff to keep a close watch for any signs of such breeding grounds around hospital premises, the students’ hostels and doctors’ residences.

“Besides, we have also asked students and resident doctors to keep their water coolers clean,” the official said, adding that the AIIMS will also ask the civic authorities to remove the garbage and stagnated water from near the boundary walls.